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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2003-02 > 1044488320


From: "Bonner, Gregg" <>
Subject: [DNA] "Deep" pedigree analyses and the name "Dewalt"
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 18:38:40 -0500


Hello Pieter, and other interested readers,


Pieter wrote:

The whole problem with our fixation on mutations "less than 2" is that the
average acceptable mutation rate is based on statistic probability
calculations. Let us remember also that hardly any scientific studies have
looked at mutations in deep (proven) pedigrees, if I recall correctly it was
mainly in father/son pairs studies, hardly a reference for us genealogist
who look at 10+ deep into pedigrees.

My response:

The clear counter to this exists in our own set of data. The sample "D" and
"B" have solid paper to link as brothers some 7 generations back. Also, "P3"
and "P4" link similarly. So considering these two pairs and the total number
of transmission events reveals that for the parts of the network diagram
that are known already by paper, we observed a grant total of ZERO
mutations. So my experience is that 7 generations will lead to zero
mutations, which makes it difficult to imagine how many generations might be
required to generate 3 or 4 mutations. I agree that the network diagram
makes them appear to cluster, so I am inclined to believe that they did not
each come by the surname coincidentally. At this point, I would LIKE to see
some mutations that have been confined to a particular transmission event,
just to show that the technique has rhyme and reason.

Pieter also writes:

Dewalt is very uncommon as a Christian first name, so presuming German
origin, Ewalt or Ewald is most likely what is meant here as a German first
name (and is still today a well known first name in Germany).

My response:

I believe that in German records, this name is more equivalent to the fairly
common name(s) of the day - Diebolt and Theobald - which can be seen as his
name on some documents. The other names also have their equivalents in the
documents - Bastian is also Sebastian, John is Johann (or even Hans), and
Peter is Petrus; and this is only a partial list of equivalences.

Cheers,

Gregg

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